The New Web

Part III: A New World

Teddy
Teddy
Aug 24, 2017 · 5 min read

The Information Web (Web 1.0) [1]
The 1990s brought Web 1.0. Here, static webpages and hyperlinks prevailed, providing users with the ability to read and consume content.

Major trends in this era revolved around discovery, search and shopping carts:

  • Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web (1994), later known as Yahoo, organized web pages into categories.
  • Netscape (1994) released the most advanced Internet browser of the time and connected people to the Internet.
  • Ebay (1995) provided a medium for auctions and connected the marketplace between buyers and sellers.
  • Amazon.com (1994) was the world’s largest book retailer and users could search a catalog far surpassing what brick and mortars could carry.
  • Google (1998) created the PageRank algorithm for its search engine that emphasized relevance over simple keyword matching.

The Collaborative Web (Web 2.0)
As the Internet progressed past the 2000s, the technology shifted towards a collaborative web. People could now interact with the web and write posts on sites that were previously read-only.

Major trends in this era revolved around content creation:

  • Youtube (2005) allowed users to upload their own videos and share them with family and friends.
  • Facebook (2004) created a platform where users could share pictures, interact with and reconnect with old friends.
  • Scribd (2007) enabled content sharing through its digital library.
  • Twitter (2006) was a social network that enabled micro-blogging.
  • Weebly (2006) gave people the power to create websites.

The Personalized Web / The Web of Things (Web 3.0)
After Web 2.0, technology innovation paved the way for a more personalized web. Services began enhancing experience and the websites began adapting to our behavior, serving us more relevant ads. The advent of mobile devices gave us another place to access content.

The major trends in this era revolved around portability and context:

  • Nest Labs (2010) brought the thermostat online and made the home a bit smarter.
  • Uber (2009) provided a cab experience with the push of a button. The mobile app officially launched in 2011.
  • Instacart (2012) brought the grocery store to your phone. This is notable because a similar company, Webvan, operated from 1996 to 2001 and raised nearly $400 million in total but failed because the prerequisite technologies didn’t exist yet. (See: Ideas are worthless)
  • Snapchat (2011) created a new way of communicating through disappearing messages.
  • Amazon Alexa and Google Home are Web 3.0 connected devices built as part of this era. Since incumbents are getting better at noticing trends, it’s why fewer startups are achieving indicorn status.

As a result of the innovations created in the Collaborative Web era, today’s internet can now be regarded as a utility and requirement rather than luxury. [2] It’s nearly unthinkable to live without constant connectivity.

The Linked Web (Web 4.0)
The next iteration of the web, assumed to be Web 4.0, is coming but we have no idea how it’s actually going to play out.

Here are my thoughts on several trends I think will determine the future:

  • Distributed Computing: What if blockchain technology can track the movement of food products through a supply chain and be independently verified at every single point?
  • Synthetic Biology: New medical advancements and drug discoveries can come from building better cells that attack diseases and extend life.
  • Connected Devices: What if diabetics wore smart glucose-monitoring contact lenses instead of needing to prick themselves constantly and draw blood? (See: Verily by Google)
  • Embedded Nanobots: What if nanobots lived in your bloodstream and alerted you anytime you might get sick? [a] [b] [c] An internet-connected dispenser could administer preemptive drugs based on the diagnosis.
  • Augmented Reality: What if we were able to call and see people without carrying around a phone? How about the ability to play games in a 4D environment, where we would move around and feel physical sensations when interacting with NPCs?

Since the pace of technology is rapidly accelerating, more startups will be created to enable new innovation. For example, power will indubitably be a constraint so Tesla’s Powerwall and uBeam’s electric charging can serve as incredibly lucrative intermediary investments.

Mass consumer adoption of the Linked Web will only happen when a prevailing technology is invented. A specific example of a prevailing technology is the iPhone because it enabled Web 3.0. Even though the initial iterations of the iPhone were subpar and the phone didn’t really work too well, people who had it were spending an absurd amount of time on the product (6 months after the iPhone release, AT&T’s volume of data traffic tripled). Likewise, computer and software sucked in the early 2000s but the rapidly improving underlying technology inspired the products we know, use and love today.

I think the prevailing technology for Web 3.0 is probably Blockchain and the subsequent technology integrations via APIs. Artificial Intelligence ties everything together and ensures products consistently improve.

Distributed computing is built in the technology of blockchain as the system is designed to work decentralized. Synthetic biology can rely on smart contracts to reveal secret recipes for creating enzymes. Connected devices, embedded nanobots and even medical prescriptions can be tracked and authenticated using the immutable chain. Augmented reality can rely on tokens, rather than real money, when exchanging for services and game upgrades.

(@15:42; Naval Ravikant’s quote on Bitcoin, as echoed by Olaf Carlson-Wee.)

It’s definitely an exciting time to live and build companies that can shape tomorrow’s world. I think the next indicorn will come from a company that capitalizes on this next prevailing technology (I’m betting blockchain). That being said, the company probably hasn’t been built yet as the industry is still premature.


[1] Prior to the Internet, different trends still shaped each decade. Though today, the pace of innovation is definitely accelerating.

  • 1930–40s: First computer created between 1936–1938.
  • 1950–60s: Semiconductor companies. Texas Instruments (founded in 1930; created silicon transistor in 1951), Intel (1968), AMD (1969)
  • 1970–80s: Consumer computing companies. Apple (1976), Microsoft (1975), Compaq (1982)
  • 1980s: Network technology/software companies. Cisco (1984), Sun Microsystems (1982), Adobe (1989), America Online (1983)

[2] Net neutrality is extremely important and disregard for it would be detrimental to the Internet as a whole. Imagine a world where our favorite products (Netflix, Hulu, HBO) load slower because these companies aren’t willing to pay the blackmail price Comcast is forcing them to.

The crux of the issue lies in the infrastructure Comcast and other incumbent companies set up over the past few decades. Normally, the free market would allow us to shop around different ISPs that are willing to provide us with the service we need. Since only one cable enters households in this infrastructure-intensive industry, consumers are at a disadvantage.


This post is part of a series of trends I’m interested in working with, investing in or learning about.

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making @teddyxlmusic and breaking things

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Teddy

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Teddy

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making @teddyxlmusic and breaking things

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